ELYRIA — Anuar Canaan had two goals for his trip to America: witness his first snowfall and see himself in the paper. He’ll head home in July with both goals crossed off from his bucket list.
Canaan, 17, has spent the last 10 months in the United States as an exchange student at Elyria High School and Lorain County Joint Vocational School.
The Puebla, Mexico, native arrived in August and has spent his stay beneath the roof of the McIntyre family.
Canaan said visiting America was his dream. He resided in Ohio with his host family, but he also had the opportunity to see New York City, Washington, D.C., and Disney World. He said his favorite destinations were New York City and Boston.
Traveling was a highlight of Canaan’s experience in the states, but he said the new relationships he fostered with friends and his host family will be his fondest memory.
Carol McIntyre echoed Canaan’s sentiments toward family bonding.
“It was just the way he fit in with our family,” she said.
For Gary McIntyre, his favorite memory with Canaan came during the winter months.
“It was his face the first time he saw snow,” he said.
Canaan partook in other events foreign to his Mexican heritage, such as high school prom. He also took a trip to Mohican State Park with other exchange students. The three-day trip, was one of the best he’s been on, despite some language barriers, he said.
“No one there talked good English,” Canaan recalled. “No one there knows how to conjugate a verb. Trying to understand each other, we just made jokes. Everyone knew what was happening in that moment, that everyone needs their families, but we were living the best experience of our lives.”
Canaan played with the Elyria High School soccer team during his stay, but he said one of his biggest dreams was to see a baseball game. He said he used to find baseball boring, but he knew the game was an American staple. As a result, he went to a Cleveland Indians game.
Canaan also got a taste of the Dawg Pound as he attended a Cleveland Browns game. He said he’d watched American football before his trip to the states, but he didn’t know a lot about the Browns other than their unfortunate reputation.
“I knew they were bad,” he admitted.
Canaan will return to Mexico on July 17, almost a year after his arrival. From school dances to a white Christmas, he has experienced some memories he said he’ll cherish forever.
“You can get to know really amazing people all over the world,” he said. “They will open their doors, even if they don’t know you.”